Minneapolis expected to host 2028 NFL draft, reports say

Minneapolis is expected to play host to the 2028 NFL draft, according to multiple reports.

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer first reported the NFL would award the event to Minneapolis. ESPN's Adam Schefter later confirmed the report. WCCO has not independently verified the 2028 draft's location.

Minnesota Sports and Events, the Vikings and U.S. Bank Stadium announced in March they were making a bid to host the draft. Organizers said previous drafts have drawn more than half a million fans to host cities and generated more than $200 million in economic impact.

Dates for the 2028 event have not been announced, but it typically occurs in late April. Organizers will be hoping for more agreeable weather than the last time Minneapolis hosted a major NFL event. In 2018, attendees at Super Bowl LII were treated to highs of minus 4 degrees and a couple of inches of snow, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

Minnesota has never hosted the draft before, but 2028 will complete the NFC North tour, with Green Bay holding it in 2025, Detroit in 2024 and Chicago multiple times.

The draft is a three-day production, with plenty of ancillary events. This year's event was held in Pittsburgh, and the Vikings used their first-round pick on defensive tackle Caleb Banks, a high-upside prospect from Florida who has suffered multiple injuries during his final college season.

This story will be updated.